False allegations suggesting that Vice President Kamala Harris wore clip-on audio headphones disguised as pearl earrings spread across social media platforms after Tuesday night’s presidential debate. These claims were amplified by notable users on X and other channels.
Among those promoting the theory was conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who asserted that Harris’s earrings were actually Nova H1 audio earphones designed to resemble pearl earrings. Her post accumulated over 1.3 million views by Wednesday morning.
However, a comparison clearly shows that the earphones differ significantly from Harris’s actual earrings. Images from product reviews illustrate that the Nova H1 earphones wrap around the earlobe, contrasting with Harris’s dangling earrings that require pierced earlobes.
The earrings in question appear to be Tiffany & Co. South Sea Pearl Earrings from the Hardwear collection. Harris has previously worn these gold earrings at various events, including a rally in Pennsylvania on August 6 and a Juneteenth concert at the White House this summer.
It is noteworthy that earpieces are prohibited during presidential debates. In the ABC debate, candidates were explicitly barred from bringing notes or props on stage. CBS News has sought comments from the Harris campaign regarding these allegations.
Data from Google indicated a surge in searches for “nova h1” and “nova earrings” on Wednesday morning. Advertised on a Kickstarter campaign as “the first clip-on earphones on the planet,” the creators claim their technology is integrated into real pearls, resting on the earlobe to direct sound into the ear canal, equipped with high-quality microphones.
Historically, claims about earpieces have circulated following various presidential debates. After a debate against Trump in June, social media users alleged, without evidence, that President Biden was wearing an earpiece. In 2020, Trump’s campaign ran Facebook ads claiming Mr. Biden wore such a device during a debate in September, which were broadly circulated online. The Biden campaign dismissed these allegations, pointing to high-resolution images that suggested the supposed wires were merely fabric creases or a watch.
In 2016, similar unfounded claims surfaced against Hillary Clinton, who was said to be using an earpiece for covert communication during an NBC News forum. Fact-checkers subsequently debunked these assertions.
These claims are not limited to conservative discourse. In 2004, rumors suggested that a bulge in then-President George W. Bush’s jacket could have been a radio receiver linked to strategist Karl Rove. A campaign spokesperson later explained that it was likely just a wrinkle in his suit jacket.